JAKARTA - The Ministry of Trade plans to boost MSME product exports for hajj and umrah needs to Saudi Arabia, said Trade Minister M. Luthfi after signing a memorandum of understanding with two other ministries and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) on Wednesday (13/1).
In a press release on Thursday (14/1), Mr Luthfi said the government plans to boost MSME product exports for hajj and umrah pilgrims in Saudi Arabia. "This is a measure to accelerate the growth of non-oil and gas exports and national economic recovery amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," he said.
The plan also involves the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs. Products to be exported to Saudi Arabia include towels, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, food and drinks, and praying kits.
In 2019, potential market for Indonesian hajj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia amounted to 221,000 people, up from 204,000 in 2018, while Indonesian umrah pilgrims amount to around 1 million people per year. From January to Ocotber 2020, Indonesian non-oil and gas export to Saudi Arabia was recorded at US$1.08 billion. (LK/MS)